Mental clarity and energy - question (help 😄)

(Taryn Hodgskin) #1

Hiya everyone.
I wonder if anyone can help me please.

I have been doing keto now for 5 weeks having returned to it following a visit to my Dr after I thought I was dying (or May as well be dead) As I had no energy was tired all the time, napped constantly and had mental fog, no memory etc… you get the picture. I saw her as I thought I was either dying, had a replase if bone marrow failure (have aplastic anaemia) or thyroid or something, OR my body was just saying enough. 92kg my all time highest weight, hip pain, and what was normally well managed and stable anxiety/depression unstable…

SO… Started keto, was in ketosis (urine stix inform me) within 3 days, cravings gone, energy levels AMAZING, memory back, zest for life returned, felt like I easy 10 years younger (am only 43). Have lost 5kg in this month and very happy but the mental alertness has gone. The energy levels have also gone. Still in ketosis, weight loss not stalled per de but very very very slow/ (0.2kg per week for last 2 weeks).

I don’t care so much about the weight but want to enjoy that mental alertness again as then anything feels possible and I have confidence in myself.

I work as a university lecturer and it’s pretty stressful, And have had some family problems… I wondered if my cortisol levels were making some impact due to higher stress… but before I would jump out of bed and now I just want to stay here.

Please can anyone help me… I love keto, but I think I might be doing something wrong…

PS did tweak my macros to adjust for 5kg loss, hitting them reasonably consistently (+- 10%) but still in ketosis so was okay with that (perhaps I wouldn’t be?) with the exception of two occasions which I expected. Use MCT oil but no other supplements atm.

Thank you for your times any any help/ suggestions. :kissing_heart:
Taz. X x.

(Wendy) #2

Just a thought: are you getting enough salt? Are you drinking enough water? Maybe try increasing those and make sure your magnesium is good. Are you eating potassium rich foods like avocados? Are you eating real foods?
Those are the things I watch most. Have you cut down your fat? If you have try increasing it some. I personally put butter on lots of things. Fat, salt, water are the things that make or break me.

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #3

As Wendy said, check electrolytes. Also, maybe food sensitivities? Wheat and dairy are the two most common… so maybe try eliminating dairy for a while to see how it feels? (Please don’t be dairy, please don’t be dairy…)

(Joanna Parszyk ) #4

I absolutely agree with your post. Those are very important details that cannot be ignored :wink:

(Taryn Hodgskin) #5

Thank you all for your comments and help. Agree so much “please don’t be dairy”.

Went to buy magnesium but got confused at the varieties and so thought I would come home and research the right one.

BUT water was probably the nail on the head. I struggle to drink a litre a day so made massive effort to drink more and immediately felt better.

THANK YOU all so much xx

#6

Are you taking cyclosporine or tacrolimus for the bone marrow failure? I take cyclosporine for PRCA (another BMF disease) and it literally dumps magnesium out of your body. I supplement with 1000 mg per day(as ordered by my doctor), and that was before a ketogenic diet. I upped it another 200 mg and I am careful about my potassium/sodium levels as cyclo is potassium sparing (meaning it makes the body retain potassium). If I get leg cramping, I supplement with some salt/nu salt water, but only until the cramps are gone. I have found that sodium helps with the brain fog energy levels.

#7

Don’t be afraid of protein! You may need more, though I would focus on the fat first. Best luck to you.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #8

Lots of good suggestions here. I’m glad the water is helping. We excrete water and sodium at a faster rate when our insulin is low, so we have to work a bit to keep salt consumption up and drink more. I have trouble remembering to drink—except coffee, but once I stop for the day, it’s hard to remember that I still need liquid. For some reason, I don’t really like the taste of tap water, but the carbonation of Seltzer or club soda is enough to make water enjoyable. It doesn’t need to have any more flavor than that.

(Taryn Hodgskin) #9

Hiya Tyme, thankfully now finished both of those two drugs. My marrow is doing its thing albeit platelets n WBC slightly under par but still able to be independent which is fab. Did not know that about them tho… thank u for sharing :kissing_heart:.

What type of magnesium supplement is most effective? Xx

(Taryn Hodgskin) #10

Not having much of an issue with fats protein generally comes in under tho… will try focusing on getting the ratios a bit closer see if that helps. X thank u for your help :smile:

#11

That is great to hear. Scary stuff to go through, Im glad that you are doing better. For some reason, I was advised to take magnesium oxide and it seems to be working just fine (according to tests). I have tried magnesium citrate, it was not kind to my digestive system =). Im glad that you brought up this topic, as it caused me to put a little research into the type that I am taking. When I am finished with the bottle I think I will switch over to the glycinate and see how it agrees with me. Magnesium malate is supposed to be good for energy.

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(Taryn Hodgskin) #12

Morning :smile:

Wow. How useful is that snip below… the malate looks perfect. You’re a star.
Hope the glycinate works well if you give it a go.

Thank you so much